Omega 835

Omega 835

Copyright © 2018 by Razor Blade All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Chapter 1

Valentina

"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most."---Mark Twain

For my Mother

Derek folded the aluminum foil and pressed it around the inside edges of his Kansas City Royals ball cap being extra careful to make sure he didn’t leave any area open. He inspected his work and didn’t see any of the blue fabric from the inside of the cap, but just to make sure he ripped off another sheet of foil and laid it over the other three sheets he had already used. Normally he used glue to hold the aluminum in place but he was out and that drove him nuts. He didn’t like his routine interrupted and knew the rest of his day was ruined. All he had was Scotch tape but that would have to do until he could get to the store.

With a few strips of tape, he secured the foil inside his cap and placed it on his head pressing down to conform the foil to the shape of his skull. He let go of the cap and shook his head from side to side feeling for any free movement. He preferred his cap to be snug. Satisfied, he put the roll of foil and the tape back in the drawer and shut it. He then opened the drawer to make sure it was still there. He shut the door and repeated two more times. Now he was certain the foil and the tape were where they were supposed to be.

Derek! a voice called out from another room. Momma needs to see you.

In a whisper, Derek said under his breath, Not now, I’m busy. And then he waited for his mother to call for him again. She always did.

Did you hear me? Momma needs you, his mother called again. Her name was Agnus and she lived most of her life either in her bed, or running around the apartment in her motorized scooter.

Yes mother, Derek replied. He left the kitchen, walked through the living room and into his mother’s bedroom. What do you want Momma? Derek asked.

Momma needs the bathroom, Agnus replied. She was two hundred and eighty pounds and couldn’t ambulate to the bathroom without assistance. Derek was not only her son, but her personal nurse and he hated it. His mother’s room was a disgusting shit hole and a hoarder’s paradise. The walls were hardly visible through the stacked boxes of newspaper, magazines and various junk she had gathered over the years. Her bed was covered in food wrappers and dirty dishes and clothes were strewn all over the floor. Derek knew he needed to do laundry, but the smell made him sick to his stomach.

Yes Momma, Derek replied, like he always did. He stepped over next to the bed and grabbed the walker that Agnus used to help her ambulate short distances. Her motor scooter was parked in the living room because there wasn’t enough room to store it in her bedroom. He placed the walker next to the bed and reached over and swung his mother’s huge, edematous legs over the edge. He then reached over and took his mother by the hand and with his other hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her up to a sitting position. When she was stable and gained her balance Derek let go and felt the tinge of pain in his back he always felt after helping his mother sit up.

I think I had an accident, Agnus said. She didn’t seem embarrassed, because she had accidents all the time that her son had to clean.

That’s ok Momma, I’ll clean it up, Derek replied. He then helped his mother stand, gain her balance with the walker and assist her to the bathroom. After he got her on the pot he stepped out of the bathroom. But not before his mother made another request.

Can you get Momma a drink?

What do you want?

A glass of milk, Agnus replied.

Yes, Momma, anything else?

No, Agnus replied and Derek left the room.

In the kitchen, Derek resumed what he was doing before his mother called him. He knew she’d be on the toilet for twenty minutes or more so he was in no rush to get back with the milk. He stepped over to the refrigerator and pulled out two frozen burritos from the freezer and unwrapped them. He pulled out a plate from the dish cabinet and placed the burritos on the plate and stepped over to the microwave oven. Only Derek didn’t see an oven, he saw the generator of a powerful radio signal, like the microwave towers he had seen out in the country. The kind of towers that emitted signals that entered his brain and tried to control him.

He knew the generator’s powerful signals could be used to cook food. He had seen programs on the television explaining how microwaves worked and knew if he took precautions he would be able to use the generator to make his breakfast. That is if he lined his hat with aluminum foil to keep the radio signals out. Occasionally he’d check the lining of his hat to make sure there were no open areas where the radio signals could penetrate. And today was one of those days.

He opened the microwave oven door and placed the plate inside. He closed the door and pushed two minutes and thirty seconds on the cook timer. He pressed the ‘on’ button and placed his hands on his hat pulling the edges down over the tops of his ears. For two minutes and thirty seconds he watched the plate and the burritos spin inside the microwave and then stop with a ding. He was satisfied the signals didn’t penetrate the hat into his head.

I’m waiting, Agnus called from her bathroom.

Momma didn’t have patience and Derek drew tired of waiting on her. It was a daily event but it was the only way he could earn a living. He was paid by Medicaid to care for his diabetic, obese mother who had gout and COPD. Derek would cook, clean and make sure she had her medicine. But he hated the work and wanted so badly to leave and do something else with his life. But he didn’t know to where or what he would do. He was just so unhappy with his overbearing mother and his tedious---worthless existence. Give me a second, Derek said. He left the plate in the microwave and opened the door to the refrigerator. He pulled out the milk and poured a glass for his mother. He checked the expiration date on the gallon jug and was satisfied the milk was still good. Then he checked the date again, and a third time and placed the jug back in the refrigerator.

Derek entered his mother’s bathroom and handed her the glass of milk. Her bathroom was as disgusting as her bedroom with the sink covered in soap, razors, make up and assorted toiletries. Are you about done Momma? Derek asked.

Give me ten more minutes, Agnus replied with a milk mustache over her real mustache.

Alright, let me know when you’re done, Derek replied. He left her room and was heading back to the kitchen when he heard a knock at the front door of the apartment. He wasn’t expecting anyone so it surprised him. He walked over to the front door and peered through the peep hole. What he saw was a woman standing in the hall wearing black sunglasses, a black double breasted Chanel suit with a matching pillbox hat. In her right hand was an eight inch black telescopic cigarette holder and the longest, thinnest lit cigarette he had ever seen. She looked like an evil version of Jackie Kennedy.

Before the woman could knock again, Derek opened the door and a wave of smoke entered the room. He couldn’t tell if she was looking at him through the black lenses of her sunglasses, and that made him nervous.

Hello, are you Derek? the woman asked with a thick Russian accent.

Yes, I’m Derek, he replied. He didn’t ask her in.

Do you mind if I come inside your apartment? the woman asked.

Who are you? Derek asked. He was confused and a bit taken aback by her appearance.

My name is Valentina, the woman replied.

What do you want?

Let me come inside and I’ll tell you.

Derek was hesitant to let anyone inside his apartment. Let alone a woman with such a foreign accent.

No, I don’t think so. My Momma will be calling me soon and I have to be available.

This won’t take long, and it’s important, Valentina replied.

Let me ask Momma first, Derek replied. He was concerned for Momma’s safety.

No, you can’t tell anyone about me. Let me have a few minutes of your time to explain, ok?

The thought of keeping a secret from his Momma bothered Derek, and this woman looked and sounded very suspicious. Nothing about what she was saying or doing gave him any confidence. Are you selling something, because we don’t buy from sales people, Derek stated.

I’m not selling anything, I have important information. Information for your ears only, Valentina replied.

Derek! Agnus called from the bathroom. I’m done.

Hold on Momma, Derek yelled back. See, I have work to do.

Valentina took a long draw on her cigarette and held it inside as she thought. She